Hallett Cove Conservation Park

An interpretative walking trail describes the park's cultural and geological heritage, including evidence of an Australian ice age some 280 million years ago. The outstanding glacial pavements along the northern cliff tops are recognised as the best record of Permian glaciation in Australia and have international significance. This park's beach is also popular for swimming.

Opening hours

Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Closures and safety

This park is closed on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may also be closed on days of Extreme Fire Danger.

You can determine the current fire danger rating by checking the Fire Ban District map on the CFS website.

Contact details

Natural Resources Centre - Black Hill

When to visit

Hallett Cove Conservation Park is beautiful all year round. Spring sees the wildflowers come in to bloom and animals start to become active again after the cooler months. Summer shows the harsh nature of the Adelaide Coastline as many plants revert to 'survival mode' with the ocean cliffs offering a cool retreat during the high summer heat. Autumn has the plants regaining their vigour with many bird species on show. Winter can bring spectacular storms with the beach conditions changing daily - from pure pebbles to sand almost over night.

Dogs not allowed

Assistance dogs

Assistance dogs are permitted in most public places and are therefore welcome in South Australia’s parks and reserves. Assistance dogs must be appropriately restrained on a lead and remain under your effective control at all times while in a park or reserve.

As per the dogs in parks and reserves policy, if the dog is not an accredited assistance dog, they must be trained to assist a person with a disability to alleviate that disability and meet standards of hygiene and behaviour appropriate for a dog in a public place. However, refusal may be given if the person with the disability is unable to produce evidence the dog is an assistance dog with the appropriate training.

Before taking your assistance dog into a park that does not normally allow dogs, it is highly recommended that you contact us so we can provide you with the latest information on any potential hazards within specific parks that may affect your dog. Please contact the park via the contact details provided under the contact tab or call the information line on (+61 8) 8204 1910.

Facilities

There is no vehicle access into the park but car parking is available at the northern, eastern and southern entrances. The walking trails are shown on the trailhead at each entrance and give a good perspective of Hallett Cove. The walk tracing the geological history along the cliff top gives excellent views of the coastline. Snorkelling and swimming are permitted along the beach in the south-western corner of the park. There is a cafe at the southern beach end.

Council managed public toilets are located in the Boatshed Café at the Heron Way entrance to the Park.

Important: Collection of firewood within National Parks is prohibited. Dead wood plays a vital role in providing shelter for animals and adding nutrients to the soil.

Plants and animals

Plants

Many local native species have been planted by the Friends Group in an ongoing effort to restore the native vegetation. The coastal zone is colonised by local salt-tolerant plants including ruby saltbush, common boobialla, flax-lilies, angular pigface, cushion fanflower and numerous native grass species.

The slopes of the Amphitheatre are covered by a coastal heath of great diversity, including pale turpentine bush, coast twinleaf and sea box.

The areas beyond the coast and Amphitheatre are gradually being returned to an open scrubland of melaleucas, eucalypts and pittosporums.

Animals

Along Waterfall Creek there are a number of species of frogs. Across the park are small lizards, legless lizards, skinks, and eastern brown snakes. Many species of birds have been sighted in the park. You might see colourful superb fairy-wrens, honeyeaters and kestrels as well as a variety of shore-wading and sea birds.

Flora and fauna species lists

To download flora (plants) and fauna (animals) species lists for this park, use the 'Create Simple Species List' tab under 'Flora Tools' or 'Fauna Tools' in NatureMaps.

Traditional owners

Aboriginal stone implements were first discovered at Hallett Cove in 1934 and over a period of 30 years, more than 1700 artefacts were collected, and are now part of the South Australian Museum collection.

Aboriginal peoples have occupied, enjoyed and managed the lands and waters of this State for thousands of generations. For Aboriginal first nations, creation ancestors laid down the laws of the Country and bestowed a range of customary rights and obligations to the many Aboriginal Nations across our state.

There are many places across the State that have great spiritual significance to Aboriginal first nations. At some of these places Aboriginal cultural protocols, such as restricted access, are promoted and visitors are asked to respect the wishes of Traditional Owners.

In places where protocols are not promoted visitors are asked to show respect by not touching or removing anything, and make sure you take all your rubbish with you when you leave.

Aboriginal peoples continue to play an active role in caring for their Country, including in parks across South Australia.

European history

This area was proclaimed as a conservation park in 1976 primarily to conserve its geological features. These features are of worldwide significance, particularly as a record of an ice age about 280 million years ago. Four main periods of geological history in the Hallett Cove area are described on the trailheads at the entrances and along the trails. The park also conserves native flora and fauna.

In 1875, Professor Ralph Tate found the smoothed and striated ‘glacial’ pavement at Black Cliff and was the first person to realise that South Australia had been subjected to an ice age. But which one? The age of the glaciation was debated until in 1895 Professor Walter Howchin suggested that it was of Permian-Carboniferous age, that is about 280 million years old.

Subsequent geological work has demonstrated that at that time Australia was much closer to Antarctica and was part of the ancient land mass called Gondwana. During that time the south-western two-thirds of Australia, including much of South Australia, was covered by an ice cap and glaciers, similar to present day Antarctica.

In 1957, Professor AR Alderman from the University of Adelaide wrote to the National Trust recommending that the excellent glacial pavements along the coastal cliff tops of Hallett Cove be preserved. For the 19 years following this letter, conservationists and community groups fought to preserve these valuable geological sites against suburban development. Finally, in 1976 the park was dedicated for the protection of features of scientific (geological) and historic interest in the Hallett Cove area.

Rangers recommend

We have picked the brains of our park rangers to find out what they would recommend you see and do whilst visiting this park.

Visit the granite boulder at the base of the beach access ramp, it is a great example of a granite erratic. This piece of granite has been transported by glacial activity all the way from Port Elliott and deposited on Hallett Cove beach.

Watching out for singing honeyeaters in the dune shrubs.

Watching the Nankeen Kestrals hover as they search for prey in the grass.

Looking for sea stars, urchins and crabs in the rockpool shallows of the wave cut platform, then count the steps back to the top of the cliff.

Bushwalking

The Coast Park Path boardwalk is the main trail which follows the coastal cliffs through the park. The Glacial Hike takes visitors inland to the geological points of interest, such as the Sugarloaf and Amphitheatre, and offers some beautiful photo opportunities within the park. Interpretive signs along the Glacial Hike tell the Geological, Aboriginal and European story of the area.

Moderate hikes

Glacial Hike (2 hrs, 3km return)

This moderate hike features a bitumen path to Black Cliff Lookout, making it more accessible to those with access needs. A natural surface trail takes visitors to geological and historic points of interest with interpretive signs. Other trails branch off and loop from this main trail.

Coast Park Path (7.2km one way)

This moderate hike features a bitumen path to Black Cliff Lookout, making it more accessible to those with access needs. The trail follows the Marion coastline from Marino to Hallett Headland via Hallett Cove Conservation Park.

Teach and learn resources

If you are looking to visit Hallett Cove Conservation Park for educational purposes, you might like to peruse our Educational Pack tailored to Hallett Cove Park. This pack was developed for schools and families by Nature Play SA and the Natural Resources Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges’ NRM Education team.

Park maps

Maps on your mobile

If you have a smartphone or tablet you can download the free Avenza PDF Map app and have interactive national park maps on hand when you need them.

The app uses your device's built-in GPS to plot your real-time location within the park onto a map. The app can be used without a network connection and without roaming charges. You can also measure area and distance, plot photos and drop placemark pins.

How to get it working on your device:

1. Download the Avenza PDF maps app from the app store whilst you are still in range (its free!).
2. Open up the app and click the shopping cart icon.
3. Click ‘Find’ and type the name of the national park or reserve you are looking for.
4. Click on the map you are after and install it (all our maps are free).
5. You will now find a list of your installed maps on the home page of the Avenza app.
6. Use our maps through the Avenza PDF map app while in the park and never take a wrong turn again.

Camping and accommodation

Other fees and permits

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge and respect the Traditional Custodians whose ancestral lands we live and work upon and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We acknowledge and respect the deep spiritual connection and the relationship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have to Country.

We also pay our respects to the cultural authority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their nations in South Australia, as well as those across Australia.

Seven Sisters and the Coloured Stone by Dorcas Miller, a Mirning Woman from Koonibba, South Australia